Arkansas Blog

The Qullin files -- UPDATE

Circuit Judge Mary McGowan today declined to stay her order that e-mail files of former county comptroller Ron Quillin should be available to the public. The Democrat-Gazette had sued to get the records when the county withheld them on ground that they contained personally embarrassing information about a relationship between Quillin and a vendor of county computer services. The woman has intervened to block release, too.

County Attorney Karla Burnett is taking an appeal to the Arkansas Supreme Court for an immediate stay and an expedited appeal. Since she has until the end of business today to produce the records under McGowan's order, we should get some indication from the Supreme Court this afternoon whether it will take the rare step of interceding. Or else the records.

UPDATE: Burnett informs me by e-mail that the Supreme Court has granted a temporary stay pending a further order from the court.